Wu-Tang Clan

The W (Loud/Columbia)

Following up their multiplatinum 1997 release Wu-Tang Forever may have seemed like a daunting challenge. Doing it without the incarcerated Ol' Dirty Bastard may have seemed impossible. But the Wu-Tang Clan's new release, The W, does not disappoint.

On The W, the Wu-Tang return to their hallmark minimalist, sample-based sound, la Enter the 36 Chambers. Refreshingly, the synthesizer is used more discreetly on The W than Wu-Tang Forever. Instead, the clan's talented producer RZA injects '70s soul (including "I Can't Go To Sleep", which features Isaac Hayes), reggae and even spy-movie themes into the tracks. ("One Blood Under W," one of The W's gems, begins with a memorable sample of the James Bond theme.)

The other members of the Wu have their moments. Method Man, as always, is witty ("In a room full of crackers I might cut the cheese," he says on "Redbull") and his delivery is impeccable. Even the ODB finds a way to contribute, making an appearance on "Conditioner," a duet with Snoop Dogg. Sadly, the quality of ODB's recorded voice is so bad it sounds like he phoned in his rap from prison, and pairing the explosive ODB with the smoked-out Snoop Dogg is like mixing oil and water.

Make no mistake, the star of The W is the RZA. For most of the album, the producer's musical innovations overshadows the raps. It's true that the album lacks the oomph that the ODB's unpredictable delivery gave to their earlier albums. Still, The W shows that you can spell Wu-Tang Clan without ODB. A- -William Lee

Lenny Kravitz

Greatest Hits (Virgin)

That's right-even as you were listening to "Hangin' Tough" back in '89, Lenny Kravitz was establishing a serious musical career, the defining moments of which are included in this album. If Kravitz's name conjures up memories of his elevator fodder "It Ain't Over Til It's Over," give him a chance-his music has definitely evolved along with his sartorial tastes. The questionable pinstripes have given way to piercings and a sex-god image, and the songs have likewise improved since the days of such musical mistakes as "Stand By My Woman" and "Mr. Cab Driver." In fact, the seductive "I Belong to You" is so sexy that most women will probably melt upon hearing Kravitz confidently coo: "I belong to you/You belong to me, too." Also included are familiar tunes from recent times: "Are You Gonna Go My Way," "American Woman" and the broken-record-like "Fly Away."

Be forewarned that Kravitz's lyrics are profoundly uninspired at best ("You make my life complete/You make me feel so sweet"). But he makes up for it with strong vocals, great melodies and silky-smooth harmonies. In "Let Love Rule," Kravitz's voice is so enjoyable it takes you a while to realize that "Love transcends all space and time/And love can make a little child smile" is nonsensical schlock. And as you start to sing along, you might realize that you don't mind so much. B -Myung! Joh

Gomez

Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline/Machismo EP (Virgin)

If you don't already know Gomez, you could be forgiven for being unsure of what to think of this album. First of all, let's put the matter to rest. Gomez are good. They are very good. Their debut album Bring It On won one of England's most prestigious music awards, the Mercury Music Prize. Their 1999 American tour brought much critical acclaim and the approval of countless audiences. But the best thing about Gomez is that they don't seem to take themselves too seriously. Having said that, there not much apart from the inherent joy of the music that unites Gomez's sound. Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline is a motley collection of B-sides, reworkings of previous material and a few new songs, with such wide variations in texture and style that it's almost impossible to pin the group down. Machismo, the accompanying EP, provides perhaps a better picture of Gomez in a nutshell, with its dance-like title track, the darker ballad "Do's and Don't's" and "Touchin' Up," a track almost Caribbean in its coolness. But while there are some absolutely amazing songs on Hotline-such as "Wharf Me" and the first single, a cover of the Beatles' "Getting Better,"-the album as a whole is more for already established Gomez fans. A better starting point would be their second LP Liquid Skin. B+ -Daniel D. Raper

Soundtrack

Bounce (Arista)

When I went to see Bounce, the audience was mostly women, with a few men who probably have a rather sensitive nature. And it is clear that the soundtrack is geared toward the same audience. The first seven artists are women, and from Dido's fabulous "Here With Me" to "Need to Be Next to You" by Leigh Nash from Sixpence None the Richer, the music is mostly suitable for the pop section of Lilith Fair. The only track that deviates far enough from the norm is BT's "Never Gonna Come Back Down," which was also featured on the Mission: Impossible 2 soundtrack. This fast-paced Crystal Method-esque track stands in stark contrast to the languorous vocals of the other songs. Nevertheless, a few stand out: the aforementioned Dido, Beth Orton's "Central Reservation" and Morcheeba's "Rome Wasn't Built in a Day" demonstrate that from such a bland soundtrack, a few well-constructed songs do stand out. However, most of the rest, even the offers from Sarah McLachlan ("Silence") and Tara McLean ("Divided") remain best left to the background of a genuine "chick flick." B- -Jimmy Zha

Enya

A Day Without Rain (Warner)

It is clear that Enya's most creative and best works were her spectacular debut Watermark album and the follow-up Shepherd Moons, which both sold over 10 million copies apiece. Yet while her later release Memory of Trees continued her commercial success, her music tended to descend into more formulaic New Age babble. Unfortunately, Enya's newest release, A Day Without Rain follows this trend. It follows almost song-by-song the same trajectory of Memory of Trees. Both have purely instrumental opening title tracks. The second song is a catchy made-for-pop-radio number, (in this case, "Wild Child"). The third is an imposing chant reminiscent of Gregorian monks, and a few plaintive songs and instrumentals later, the album ends with the catchy "Lazy Days," which corresponds almost exactly to "On My Way Home" on Memory of Trees.

This is not to say that what she does is no longer effective. Packed into the little more than half-an-hour's worth of music is the same startling harmonies and clear, almost heavenly voice that made Enya a favorite of fans around the globe. Unfortunately this very music now appears hollow, lacking the spirituality that her previous albums embodied (for example, the sense of sadness pervading throughout Watermark). And without that center, what is left is what A Day Without Rain is: a candy-covered shell. B- -Jimmy Zha